Concealed carry is the practice of carrying a firearm, usually a handgun, in public in a concealed manner. All 50 states in the US have laws allowing qualified individuals to carry certain concealed firearms in public, either without a permit or after obtaining a permit. Published statistics indicate the number of concealed carry permit holders in the United States is steadily increasing.
Small caliber and small frame handguns that will fit in a pocket are particularly popular for concealed carry. A significant disadvantage to these firearms is they are easily recognized as being a handgun in the carrier's pocket because of their very identifiable, distinct L-shaped pistol silhouette. In addition, because of their characteristic handgun form, they often turn and twist in different directions in the carrier's pocket, making a smooth draw awkward. Conventional pocket carry handguns when carried in a pocket unchambered with a holster apply pressure solely on the barrel in the pocket, which can break the pocket's seams. If a conventional pocket carry handgun is carried with a round chambered, the handgun must be carried inside a holster to prevent accidental discharge. Otherwise, the handgun could discharge if the user were to bump into something that could engage the trigger, such as a table corner, or if the trigger were inadvertently actuated when the user was retrieving the handgun from his or her pocket. The holster adds bulk and requires an additional removal step before the handgun can be operated. Additionally, small pocket carry handguns are often “snappy,” having excess muzzle rise that makes maintaining the sight picture difficult, and the grips are often too small or awkward to grasp. Another negative aspect is the magazine capacity of small pocket carry firearms is generally limited to relatively few rounds because a higher capacity magazine may not fit in the user's pocket or can be harder to draw from the user's pocket. If an extra magazine is needed, it must be carried either in another pocket or a holster of some sort that requires the carrier to divert at least one hand and his or her attention to retrieve it and reload the handgun.
To attempt to address the identifiable, distinct silhouette of a concealed carry firearm, and to enable larger handguns with greater magazine capacities to be used for concealed carry, foldable handguns have been developed. One example is the compact foldable handgun disclosed by US Patent Publication No. 2010/0242329 to Carr et al. Although the handgun of Carr et al. is generally suitable for its intended use, it has the disadvantages of additional complexity and requiring the use of a specially-designed pistol. The Carr et al. trigger guard does not connect to the grip, the trigger supports the rear of the trigger guard, and the grip and trigger do not share a common pivot pin. In contrast, the grip and trigger of the current invention share a common pivot pin to reduce complexity, the trigger guard is connected to the grip, and the current invention is readily adaptable for use with an existing, conventional pistol.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved folding pistol that is not readily identifiable as a handgun, reduces complexity of the folding mechanism, can be used with existing, conventional pistols, and provides a large physical and visual safety mechanism when the pistol is in the folded condition. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the folding pistol according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of not being readily identifiable as a handgun, reducing complexity of the folding mechanism, being used with existing, conventional pistols, and providing a large physical and visual safety mechanism when the pistol is in the folded condition.